Don't get your hopes up! Expectations and satisfaction of study abroad students

Title

Don't get your hopes up! Expectations and satisfaction of study abroad students

Identifier

honSP2015Martin

Subjects

["Study abroad","College students"]

Format

["pdf"]

Language

["English"]

Collection Name

["Towson University Honors Theses"]

* Running head: EXPECTATIONS AND SATISFACTION OF STUDY ABROAD STUDENTS DON’T GET YOUR HOPES UP! EXPECTATIONS AND SATISFACTION OF STUDY ABROAD STUDENTS by Emily Martin An Honors Thesis Presented to the Faculty of Towson University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the degree Bachelor of Sciences with Honors May 11,2015

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Document Details

Title

Don't get your hopes up! Expectations and satisfaction of study abroad students

Identifier

honSP2015Martin

Subjects

["Study abroad","College students"]

Type

["Text"]

Genre

["Honors Theses"]

Format

["pdf"]

Rights

There are no restrictions on access to this document. An internet release form signed by the author to display this document online is on file with Towson University Special Collections and Archives. Copyright protected. All rights reserved.

General Notes

Honors thesis research directed by the Department of Psychology.

Extent

17 pages

Language

["English"]

File Size

6936417 Bytes

Collection Name

["Towson University Honors Theses"]

Author

Martin, Emily

Department or Program

["Towson University. Department of Psychology"]

Abstract

This study aims to determine the connection between study abroad students expectations, adjustment and overall satisfaction of their time abroad. Cross-cultural research has suggested that higher expectations may lead to difficulty adjusting in an abroad setting and poor cultural adjustment may lead to lower overall satisfaction oftime abroad. The main hypothesis of the study predicts that study abroad students who have high expectations will adjust poorly and those who adjust poorly will have low rates of satisfaction of their time abroad. The current study recruited 42 participants from Towson University's Study Abroad programs; participant's abroad location varied across 19 different countries. Participants were asked to fill out a survey regarding their expectations of their time abroad prior to leaving, as well as completing surveys on met expectations, cultural adjustment (Sojourner Adjustment Measure), and overall satisfaction after returning home. Analyses suggest that participants whose expectations was not congruent with their actual experience, reported lower levels of cultural adjustment as well as satisfaction. Implications of the study suggests that some type of cultural training may be necessary for study abroad students prior to their time abroad. This training may allow them to develop realistic expectations for their time abroad.

Date Published

11 December 2015

Specialization

["Cross-cultural psychology"]

Author (Controlled)

["Martin, Emily"]

Thesis Advisor

["Rosenbusch, Katherine"]

Degree Note

2015-05

Don't get your hopes up! Expectations and satisfaction of study abroad students

Document Details

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